Pet Food Recall – What You Need to Know

As each day passes since the first pet food recall was announced on 16 March, the heartbreak and distress suffered by pet owners continues to grow a-pace. We still don’t know how many pets have been affected, but the number will be in the thousands.

What I’ve done today is to provide a summary of the most important information you need to know about the recall.

I’ve included details of the pet foods that have been recalled, the pet foods not recalled, the symptoms to look for in your pet, how to cope with mounting medical bills, what to do if your dog is ill or, tragically, has died and guidance from the American Veterinary Medical Association on what to feed your pet now.

Pet Foods Recalled

Howl 911’s Pet Food Portal has a list of those pet foods that have been recalled. This list is updated daily => click here

Pet Foods Not Recalled

Petsit USA has compiled a list of all pet foods that have not been recalled; again, this list is updated daily => click here

As the site makes clear, the pet foods on this list are deemed safe by the pet food companies themselves, so use the list as a starting point for finding safe food for your pet. Before using any pet food on this list I suggest you check with the pet food company itself that they still believe the pet food to be safe and also talk to you vet as they may know of dogs that have been affected after eating that brand of food.

Symptoms to Watch out For

There is still a great deal of confusion as to the compound that is causing our cats and dogs to fall ill, but what is known is that the illness manifests as kidney failure.

Signs of kidney failure include: vomiting, not eating, drinking more than usual, urinating more than usual and/or lethargy.

If your dog shows any of these symptoms contact your vet immediately. Kidney failure can be treated and your dog has a greater chance of survival if you seek treatment for him as soon as the symptoms become apparent.

What About the Vet’s Fees?

All the major pet insurance companies have issued statements to say that veterinary fees for treatment will be covered by existing policies.

If you are not covered by insurance, then Itchmo has a list of organizations that may be able to provide financial assistance => click here

What to Do if Your Dog Has Been Affected

All instances of illness or death must be reported to the FDA. A list of contact numbers has been provided by the FDA => click here

What Should You be Feeding Your Dog Now?

Understandably many dog owners feel unsure about continuing to use commercially produced dog food and are looking at home cooking as an alternative.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (“AVMA”) points out that dogs have very different nutritional needs to humans and that many foods we eat can be toxic to dogs.

The AVMA goes on to say that commercial pet foods are developed with the guidance of animal nutritionists, and represent the most balanced diets available for our pets. As the recall only affects approximately 1% of available pet foods, the AVMA maintains that there are still many safe pet foods available to choose from.

If you want to look at providing your dog with home prepared food, then the AVMA does recommend the following web site => PetDiets.com

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